Stronger Than Steel
by stitchpunk-5
Summary: His life in Omega was never good in the first place. But then disaster struck, and his new life was even worse. Living half-machine was a nightmare. He didn't want this. He never asked for this. Until she came... she changed everything.
1. Chapter 1

_So this is basically a new, different, better version of the previous fanfic I started writing before. It's basically the same, with identical plots and characters, but slightly different. First off, I won't try to be an idiot and write a fanfic about a fandom I clearly don't know about, so I chose a different universe to write in- Mass Effect (inserthappyhere)! Well, including Mass Effect 2, obviously, because they have a far wider perspective. Anyway, if you're going to read this, then thanks! I appreciate it! And also review if you have something to say._

_Chapter One_

Omega.

Some people called it the slums of the universe. You only went there if you had a death wish or if you were strong enough to fight to the top and demand respect. Or if your credits couldn't stretch far enough to get you anywhere else. Some people even stayed when they could leave because they enjoyed the thrill of a danger-filled life.

Omega.

Rich folk who could eat credits three meals a day and still have enough to buy an entire planet looked down at the place like it was the bowl of a toilet. Some people campaigned to get rid of the place, some people want to keep it. Said it was a magnet for dirty criminals and alcoholics, attracting them away from their tucked and polished neighborhoods.

Omega.

Aside from the officers and mercenaries, most people here just get drunk and fight. Others join the poverty spreading in the sewers below. The only people here who benefit are the asari dancers and the bartenders. Sometimes travelers stop by. But they never stay long. Can't say I blame them.

Omega.

I call it home.

Of all the places in the universe, Omega was probably one of the worst for a kid to grow up. But here I am. I had no choice. My parents got stuck here. They came here for business reasons, but the moment they landed their ship, it was robbed of its credits and supplies. The corporation they worked for fired them as soon as they heard the news. They didn't even offer to get them out of there. They just left and never spoke to them again. A year later, my father died. A robber trying to steal what little credits my mother had attacked them one day. My father tried defending her, but the robber just pulled out a gun and shot him. Then the officers came and pulled him away before he could finish his job with my mother. But that didn't change what happened to my father. And people just _watched_.

I was only two years old when it happened. I didn't understand. That day my mother came home crying and I couldn't understand why. She wouldn't tell me. I couldn't fathom how terrible it was. But then I found out. Later on in the years I realized why my father never came back. I remembered that day, when I couldn't understand. My world turned dark.

During most of my childhood, I was never allowed outside the small apartment door that separated me from the rest of Omega. There I lived, blind to the world that was happening right behind that blank metallic door. But one day I found out. When I was a 14 year old boy, I waited until my mother was asleep. Stress from a source I did not know of had aged her terribly, and she needed as much rest as she could get. The I slipped out of the door. I was curious. I wanted to know what that door was keeping from me. I slipped out into a dark hallway, lit only by dull red lights lining the edges of the floor. Those lights were my path as they led me towards a light in the far end of the hall. When I reached the light, I had to shield my eyes. They adjusted, and I saw a new world before me.

It wouldn't be much to anyone, but for a young boy who had been trapped in a cramped apartment room for his whole life, it was like looking at a new universe. There was a large central room with many other hallways leading away like the legs attached to the body of a spider, the dark hallway where I came from served as only one of the legs. A group of humans at the far end of the bright room were deep in conversation. Some of them coughed every once in a while. There was also two turians, close to where I was spying at the mouth of the dark hall. They had guns and fancy armor, and were talking about something called 'Vorcha'. I looked at them with shocked eyes, at their guns. I had never seen a gun before, besides the small handgun my mother kept locked away. But these were.. giant ones. It made our handgun look like a piece of scrap metal.

I ducked into the light and slipped as quickly as I could past the guards and darted towards the other end of the room, to one of the hallways that linked a path out. I was sure I wasn't the best at sneaking around, but if anyone spotted me, they didn't do anything.

Through one of the rusty automatic doors that creaked as they slid open was another hallway. But this one bended and rounded sharply into a corner. I followed the hallway, looking over my shoulder. It was almost time to return home. It would be best if I returned home before my mother woke up. But something drew my feet forward, step by step. I heard voices. Something flared inside of me. An instinct. I had to see what was going on. The right part of my mind screamed at me to turn back, but I wouldn't listen.

As I approached the corner, I heard the voices more loudly and clearly. One of the voices was scared, talking about 'returning the credits soon'. A second voice replied, sounding impatient, calling the first voice a filthy thief. I reached the corner and slowly looked around. The hallway led to a dead end, with a large fan slowly rotating behind a thick mesh screen at the very end. But there were also two people standing there. One was a human, like me, backing away from a batarian who seemed to advance on the retreating human. But the human was cornered.

"I've had enough of your shit!" the batarian snarled. "You should've known not to lie to me. It's better to have you dead than to wait for you to 'return' your debt."

"No, please, I promise, I swear!" the human pleaded, shrinking as his back pressed into the metallic mesh.

The batarian took the final step. "Go to hell." He brought his fist up to the human's head, slamming a blow so hard it caused a hideous crack to shred the air, causing the human's neck to turn an unnatural angle. I shrank further back into the corner. The human collapsed heavily onto the floor. There was silence. Nothing but the grave whoosh of the fan, the only thing besides me that had witnessed the murder. Murder. Right in front of my eyes. Not far from my home. Where was I?

The batarian turned. In a few more seconds, he would turn to the corner where I was watching. He would see me. He would realize I saw what happened. What would he do then? Would he kill me too? Should I run? Should I fight? Should I stand up to the evil that happened right before me? I had to be brave. I should avenge that human's death, do what was right.

I ran.

I tore out that place. I ran. I had to get away from there. I was... _scared_.

I would never forgive myself for that. That day I had lost my courage, fled like a weak child. I told myself I would never do that again. The world would see my fear, and use that to consume me. I had to be strong.

When I came back home, the scene was still fresh in my mind. It was branded into my mind. I did not want it. I wanted to close my eyes and shut it out. I shouldn't have slipped out of that door. My life was ruined now. _No, not ruined,_ something said in my mind. _You've seen the truth._

I didn't want the truth.

My mother had not awoken by the time I came back. Even in deep, peaceful sleep, her face looked scared and troubled. I now knew why.

_Heaven's gates won't open up for me_

_With these broken wings I'm falling_

_All I see is you_

_These city walls ain't got no love for me_

_I'm on the ledge of the eighteenth story_

_And oh, I scream for you_

_Come please, I'm calling_

_And all I need from you_

_Hurry, I'm falling._

_I'm falling._

~ Savin' Me by Nickelback


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter Two_

That day had shocked me. For days I sat without saying a word. My mother never noticed. The horrors of the outside had driven her completely numb. Right and wrong had dissolved into nothing for her. When she woke, she sat up, smiled at me, and asked if I was hungry. I wonder if she's gone crazy.

But as days passed I healed faster than I had expected. It surprised me. The horror in myself vanished and was replaced by a yearning to go outside and explore again. _Don't!_ I gold myself. _Who knows what could happen?_

But I went out anyway.

I figured that since that... incident... before happened in a small little hallway with no one around, a scene like that wouldn't happen in an open, crowded area. That's where I wanted to go. Perhaps I could learn a little about where I was. I had been shut in the dark for too long. I know my parents wanted me to be safe. But this couldn't last any longer. I had to get a taste of danger. It would be like a vaccine. Once I got a small sample, I could fight it later on.

Soon I found my way into a place that was lit with purple and orange lights. Some people were dancing, others were ordering drinks and others were talking at tables. This was what I presumed was Omega's bar, the Afterlife. Everyone here was older than me. Would they throw me out because I was too young? But no one paid me too much attention. They were either too drunk, didn't care, or saw me as a potential customer without a thought about my age and drinking limits.

I glanced around. Music was blaring from everywhere. Talk mingled with the music. People danced. Asari dancers danced. I felt so open. Even though no one was looking at me, I felt all eyes on me. I ducked away to a dark corner near a table that seated a male salarian and a human woman. The salarian was obviously new here, as the woman was explaining the history of the place to him. A perfect conversation for me to listen into.

"My friends told me that this place is a stinking hellhole, but it's actually kind of nice! They've got music, drinks- women! I'm glad I didn't take my friends' words for it. I might stay here for a while," the salarian said.

"Yeah I know. It's not as bad as people presume. There's actually some nice people here, believe it or not. Living here's pretty good. Well, so long as you stay out of Aria and her mens' ways," the woman replied before taking a sip out of the glass in front of her.

"Aria? The asari? I heard about her.. she's the boss of this place, isn't she?"

"That's right. She controls the place. Word is, a krogan used to be in charge of this place. But then she came here and overthrew the krogan and his men. She kept the krogan alive as a 'trophy'. She calls him the Patriarch, a little joke from the title of asari Matriarch." The woman motioned a hand towards a direction. "He's in a room over there, talking with folks. He's actually pretty nice.. if you don't get him angry. But anyway, back to Aria. Get this," the woman said, leaning forward. "It's been said that Aria has talked to the Commander Shephard himself. I'm not exactly what they talked about, but she talked to him! Shephard!"

"Shephard? You mean the man that saved the universe more than once? Wow. That's pretty big," the salarian said. He blinked his large, black eyes. "There also seem to be an awful lot of mercenaries here. Eclipse, Blue Suns, Blood Pack, the groups that were around when Shephard was here. There are also a couple of new ones that formed."

The woman nodded. "Yeah, you best stay out of their way. I heard the Blue Suns and Eclipse are hiring salarian mercenaries, if you're ever looking for a job like that. But I'm afraid the Blood Pack is staying strictly krogan and vorcha like they always have. I'm not sure about the newer groups."

"Me? As a mercenary? Oh, no, no! I couldn't possibly! I think I'll stay as an accountant, thank you," the salarian said quickly, waving his hands out in front of him. The two then began to engage in conversation about new spacecraft models.

I looked away and headed for the exit of the bar. I had heard all that I needed to hear. I knew a little about this place. Later, I would hear more. When I got home, my mother didn't notice. She hardly noticed anything anymore. I looked at her with sorrow. I wondered if I kept going out like this, I would become more like her. I hoped not. I had to be strong.

Another year passed. I slipped out quite a bit. I learned the more I listened. I learned more of the history of Omega, of different planets and galaxies, of different species, and more of this spectacular figure they called 'Commander Shephard' who did amazing things. He sounded more like a comic superhero than a real commander with his powerful actions.

"The first human Spectre!" a turian said. "A fine advancement of the human race."

This life was fun. Funny how I had adjusted so well to this environment. And then I took this life for granted. I thought it would last forever, smile at home and risk myself outside. Like how things always turn out when something's taken for granted, I was wrong.

This day was a turn of events. A tragic event. Something pulled straight out of a nightmare. A bolt of lightning crashing out of a dark thundercloud.

This day was the day my mother died.

It came so suddenly. She lie in her deathbed, seconds away from joining my father. I kneeled beside her, holding her hand. And then she started to cry. Tears flooded from her dull eyes as she told me the truth.

"The world is cruel," she sobbed. "I don't want to leave you all on your own out there. Take care of yourself, please. Promise me you will."

I nodded solemnly, words lodged thickly in my throat.

"Your father.. he wanted you to go out there. To discover the world. He told me when you turned 15, he wanted you to explore the universe and live the life we never had. He had hidden a large cache of credits for you.. I was.. I was supposed to give to you a few months ago but.."

Her voice cracked as new tears washed her pale face. "I never gave it to you. I didn't want you to leave. I couldn't stand the thought of you.. out there..."

"Hush..." I said quietly. "You needn't worry about me, mother. I'll be fine. Please, don't try to talk. Don't cry. Father wouldn't want you to." I held her hand and did my best to make her smile. She looked at me, all the love of the universe in her eyes for me. And then.. they began to fade.

I clung tighter to her hand. Time froze. My heart froze. The tears froze at the edge of my eyes. "Don't go," I whispered. My voice sounded like I was being strangled. I was. "Please don't go."

She tried to smile, but the light was nearly gone. "Love... love... love y-... I love... you.." she sighed.

I was alone.

I lowered my head and rested my forehead against her limp hand. I closed my eyes. I could feel my heart beat. It was dull. It was so far away. Yet so close, pounding in my head, pounding the truth, the tragedy, the emptiness. It cried out. No one heard.

"Don't go."

_I didn't get around to kiss you goodbye on the hand_

_I wish that I could see you again_

_I know I can't_

_I hope you can hear me_

_'Cause I remember it clearly_

_The day you slipped away was the day I found_

_It won't be the same_

_I've had my wake up, won't you wake up?_

_I keep asking why, and I can't take it_

_It wasn't fake, it happened_

_You passed by._

~Slipped Away by Avril Lavigne


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter Three_

Leaving my old home was frightening, I had to admit. In the past when I went outside, I always had home to return to when I'd enough. But now I had nothing. If I faced danger, there was nothing when I turned around to flee. I was scared of the danger. I was scared of not being able to turn back. But what I truly terrified of was if I wasn't able to be strong enough.

"The universe really changes a man," I heard someone say to his companion at the docking bay for leaving shuttles. "It does things to him. I mean, look at me! When I was young, I had absolutely no goal in life. But I went out. And now I'm BURSTING with potential! It's frightening!"

The next few moments were black and white. I could hardly hear a sound as I bought my ticket out of Omega. Since I had made sure my mother had a proper burial, I was late. I had to run fast to catch the ship. When I boarded, I felt like I was exposed. I was nothing but a 16-year-old boy with a small bag of useless treasures among officers, corporation folk, mercenaries, and other types of people who had their business here.

There were two empty seats next to each other. I sat in one of the two, the one closest to the small, ovular window. I set my pack next to my feet and leaned my head back on the hard seat, closing my eyes and trying to shut out everything. It worked, only for a few seconds. My little world of black was interrupted with loud, clanking footsteps. I opened my eyes and turned my head to the side as a large grey turian seated himself next to me. I blinked and looked away. I didn't have to talk to him and he didn't have to talk to me.

But that little rule was broken the moment he looked at me and said, "You look like you've got no where to go. In that case I might be able to help you." His voice was deep, with that flanging effect all turians seemed to have. His mandibles twitched as he spoke and his eyes were deep and sincere.

I was surprised by his sudden words, but made effort not to show it on my face. "You don't know that," I replied bluntly before looking away. I heard him chuckle. "I know a lot of things," he replied. "Hiding won't do any good from me. It's okay. Talk to me. I'll help you through this."

"You're a turian," I said with a semi-bitter voice. "You're not exactly trusted by humans. What makes you think I'll be any different?"

"I understand your caution. Maybe I came a little too rushed," the turian said, looking forward and sitting back into his seat. I returned to staring out the window. Time crawled forward like a dying slug. I looked down at my bag and thought about reaching down to see if there was anything worth entertaining myself with in it. But then again, I didn't want to open it in front of this turian. And speaking of that turian, who did he think he was, anyway? Strutting up to me and retelling me all my problems and acting like he could solve them.

Minutes trickled by and melted together to form a continuous stream of flat moments. I side glanced at the large turian and noticed a strange symbol on the chest plate of his blue armor. It was a dark grey moon surrounded with a spiraling wisp of cloud. He noticed my side glance and looked down to return my stare, but I quickly glanced away. There were a few seconds of silence before the turian spoke quietly, "have you ever heard of the Sightless Moon?"

I looked at his dark eyes and they looked back at me, seriousness glinting in those strange alien eyes. I slowly shook my head. "Nope, never heard of them."

"Shame," the turian said. "You interested in what I have to say?"

I turned away. "Why should I?" I asked. There was silence. Then the turian spoke. "It doesn't look like you have anything else." The truth from his words hit me hard. I narrowed my eyes and looked down at my feet.

"No," I said quietly. "I don't." I felt the turian's three-fingered hand on my shoulder. "Then will you listen?" he asked gently. I hesitated, then nodded. "Yes," I said. He removed his hand from my shoulder and sat back, talking in a rather quiet voice that only I could hear. "The Sightless Moon is a mercenary group that.. don't give me that look.. that aren't like the others. We don't fight just for fun, we don't play dirty, we don't smuggle, and we certainly don't hire ourselves out to do others' bidding."

"Then what DO you do?" I asked, growing quite bored.

"We do what others dare not, we fight for what's right." I perked up. Even though I barely knew my father, I thought I almost heard him and the turian say that last part in a unison. I was still for a moment, then mentally shook it off, especially trying not to let my surprise show. "Is that all? You sound like the police." The turian chuckled. "Not at all. Police organizations are restricted to making sure civilians follow the law. Laws that are read to them. We make our own laws, and if someone breaks those laws and displeases us, we show them how we feel. Of course, those laws aren't unfair and only benefit us. They keep even the toughest in check. High officials let a shitload of things slide under their nose. Crimes, murders, smuggling. Sometimes those 'unchecked' crimes come back and hurt everyone. But there's no one to blame. Because everybody ignored it. Let the cycle keep going and pretty soon the whole universe is gonna fall apart. But that's where we come in. Of course, we aren't exactly goody-two shoes, either. Sometimes we bend the rules a little and do a couple of things that others don't like. But nothing TOO bad. We can have a little mischief every now and then. After all, we're brothers. And we always welcome new recruits." He looked at me. "Well, what do you say, kid? We've got a good future for you."

I was silent for the longest time. How long was this ship ride, anyway? It let him finish saying all THAT.

"I don't even know your name," I finally answered. The turian let out a bellowing laugh that was so loud many awake passengers looked at us, and sleeping passengers woke with a snort.

"Ah, I guess I accidentally let that slip away. The name's Ciron. Ciron Reneker. And can I ask for yours?" the turian answered. I looked down at my feet, trying to decide a false name to give him. I didn't trust him enough with my real name. "Jake Core," I lied. The turian seemed to buy it. "Good to meet you, Jake. Now, keep in mind my offer. I won't immediately want your answer. I'll give you time to think."

"All right," I replied. Just like that, the conversation was over. I returned to watching planets and stars soar by outside the window. We were very close to Kani, the planet this ride was designated to reach. It was a small planet, not that much happening in it. But the ride to it was all I could afford. I reached down and took my pack, setting it on my lap and preparing to leave the shuttle. Landing took forever, it seemed. I was excited to get off this thing. I was on a whole different planet! It might've not been the best of all planets, but it didn't matter. As we were in line to get off the shuttle, Ciron looked back at me. "Hey, the ride was shorter than I expected. Well, I'm just here to settle a personal business of mine, but you're welcomed to come along. You won't be put in any danger." I nodded, seeing that there was no where else to go besides to wander around and probably get myself lost. Ciron looked like he knew what he was doing, and besides, he wasn't as bad as I expected out of a turian.

We left the shuttle, but as soon as we walked in the docking bay, a man escorted Ciron over to an inspection station. As we followed the escorting officer, Ciron whispered to me, "they don't trust mercenaries at all, nor do they care which group you're from. Don't worry about me, I've got nothing to hide. This inspection might take a while. If I'm lucky, the interrogation will be short. Anyway, why don't you have a look around the bay? It'll be good for you to explore. Meet me back here once you've had enough." At that moment, the officer turned around and said, "Sir, please take out all weapons you're carrying and set them on the table."

It was clear the officers weren't going to let Ciron go for a long time, so I turned and began wandering around the surprisingly large docking bay. Many people were hurrying about, trying to catch the next shuttle or leaving shuttles. Employees were scattered among the crowds, officers patrolled the area. The place was totally alive.

"Hey!"

I turned and nearly gawked. Standing there was probably the prettiest thing I had ever seen in my life. A girl stood there around my age, timidly smiling. But to my horror, her face fell when I turned to look at her. Then, to my relief, she said, "Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you were someone else." So she DIDN'T think I was ugly or scary. That's a relief. She flashed me another dazzling smile. A little timid and shy, but completely gorgeous. "Do you happen to know a guy named Logan Rush? I'm looking for him, but I don't know where he is. His flight should be in by now."

Clumsily brushing a lock of dark hair out of my face, I tried to flash back a confident grin. "No.. but, uh, would you like me to look for him with you?"

The girl shook her head. "No, thank you," she said. "Oh," I said. "Well then.. keep looking.. good luck.." The girl nodded and began to walk away, but before she disappeared, she gave one more glance towards me.

Whoa.

It took me a while to get my legs working again.

'Keep looking'.

Did I really say that? Gosh.

_If living is seeing, I'm holding my breath_

_In wonder, I wonder_

_What happens next?_

_A new world, a new day to see_

_I'm walking softly on air_

_Halfway to heaven's frontier_

_Sunlight unfolds in my hair_

_Oooh, I'm walking on air_

_Oooh, to heaven's frontier._

~New World by BJork


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter Four_

It's a common stereotype that mercenaries join mercenary groups like they do because they don't know how to do anything else besides shoot a gun and point it at people exceptionally well. Some people may say that it's not a stereotype, that it's true. But Ciron definitely revealed the stereotype as false. Well, for some mercenaries, anyway. The turian turned out to be a great teacher. Even better than the downloaded education software my parents got from the internet when I was just the smallest of toddlers.

"See that fellow over there," Ciron said with a faint nod towards a strange creature of a different species. "That's a krogan. One thing you need to know about them- don't get in their way. They're a real tough species. Fighting is in their blood. They've got hot tempers, like an Earth bull.. it's a bull, right? Okay. But there are always ones who stray away from the crowd, and krogans are no acception. Some krogans can be pretty peaceful, and they're pretty cool to chill with. But you never know, so just be smart and stay the fuck away from them."

We were still on Kani, touring around. Ciron was surprised by my lack of knowledge of the universe and decided to give me a lesson. "Knowledge is power," he told me. "In a world like this, you need power like that, or you're as good as dead." So here we were. The joy.

"Understood," I said with mock seriousness, but I took his words deep, remembering what he said with one last glance at the tough-looking krogan that was holding around with a gun in hand, staring at the crowd with its beady eyes as if daring someone to look right back at it.

"Now that over there, the robot-looking thing. That's actually not a robot. It's just a quarian in its enviro-suit. See, quarians have really weak immune systems, even a disease as common to us as a cold might kill them. I've never seen a quarian without its enviro-suit, or even an unmasked one. They're really sensitive about exposing themselves to open air. Because of the threat of open infections and injuries, most tend to stay away from battles. I'm not saying that they're lame with the gun, though. Most quarians work as technicians. They may not be ideal for combat, but they have some sort of magic going when they work with machines. Some of the best starships zooming among the stars today were constructed by the quarians. They're a rather tranquil species, but you'll have to gain their cautious trust before you can hope for any kind of friendship," Ciron said, moving onto another odd-looking creature.

I moved my eyes from the daring krogan to the apparently female quarian inspecting the wires of a broken ship. She was too far away for me to hear what she was saying, but I say that whenever she spoke, the mouthpiece on the opaque glass-looking mask lit up. She had long, draping cloth that covered the top of her helmet and her shoulders like normal female hair. Her enviro-suit was generally grey with patches of dark color and small designs.

"From the looks of this one, it looks like she's on her Pilgrimage," Ciron added. I looked up at him. "Pilgrimage?" I repeated. "They travel?"

"No, for the quarians, the Pilgrimage is the 'coming of age' quest for them. Before they can become a true, mature adult, a quarian must leave the Migrant Fleet, basically a bunch of ships clustered together where quarians reside since their home planet was taken from them, travel out into the universe until they find something of use to bring back to the Fleet. It is then that they can join a ship and its captain and become a mature quarian."

"How do you know so much?" I suddenly asked. His vast knowledge of the universe and its creatures was curious, especially since Ciron was only a mercenary.

"When I was young, I was very much like you. Quiet and curious. I listened and spoke little, and in return my perspective of the universe grew. But my days of silence are over. It's nice to have someone to talk to. Maybe you'll be the same one day," Ciron answered quietly. Not long after he spoke, he pointed out another species, a humanoid, reptilian creature known as the Drell. One by one he labeled whatever knew thing we encountered.

"And I trust that you know about your own species," Ciron said at last. I was surprised. Ciron was the kind of person who could talk for hours, yet it would only feel like minutes because you were so concentrated on his words, your grip on time loosened and slipped.

But he had forgotten one more thing. "What about turians, Ciron?" I asked. "Strange how you would forget to explain about your own species."

Ciron looked ahead, his eyes strictly on the path ahead of us. "Nothing important about us turians," he said. "Our anatomy may look frightening and strong, but our scales repel bullets as well as human skin does. Turians are the classic warriors of the galaxies. At a 'teen' age, the common turian would most likely head off to boot camp to train as a soldier, an officer, a mercenary, or something other than those. Our lifespans are no longer nor shorter than that of humans, unlike krogan or asari who can live for many centuries. Quarians, too, have the average lifespan of 80 or more years, but because of their immune system, there is a higher chance that they live shorter lives."

He looked down at me, then placed his hand on my shoulder and gave it a light pat. "That should satisfy your morning well enough. Why don't you head back to the motel or do a little bit of exploring around town? Don't stray too far or stay out too long." His eyes scanned the area around us. "You never know what kinds of things come out when the sun goes down." Ciron suddenly pulled out a small dagger in its sheath from the many weapons on his back. "Here, why don't you take this? And please try not to stab yourself with it or anything like that. Your first injuries should come from the weapon of an opponent, not your own."

I took the dagger and its sheath carefully in my hands. "Hook it onto your belt, just like that. Make sure you position it so that it'll be pulled out nicely and quickly. That's it. I'm off to visit a brother of mine. He's dying. That's why I'm here. I'll be back by sundown. Maybe you can give me your decision about whether to join the Sightless Moons or not when I get back. Don't forget about that."

With that he turned away, walking off with that funny trot all turians seemed to have. The weight of the dagger felt heavy and dangerous on my belt. I looked over my shoulder. People walked around here and there, some carrying guns, others as harmless as a quarian infant. I passed through the alien people and headed back to the small motel that Ciron and I stayed at temporarily until it was time to leave Kani. Inside the motel room, it felt small and grey. Though voices of the crowd could still be heard from the window, all felt silent in here. The air was too peaceful and still. It was suffocating me. But this yearning to go out frightened me. What was going on? Something in me craved action, action could only be found in the deep, dark corners of town.

'I'm sick of fear,' I thought to myself. 'I'm tired of feeling it in my heart. I want to put it into my enemy's eyes, to see that they know they've been defeated. I wanted their faces in the dirt for all the pain and tragedy in my life, hurt them because of the life I never had...'

What was wrong with me? I rested my elbows on my knees and covered my face in my hands. I was starting to sound like a barbaric krogan!

The air is much too quiet. I want movement, fear, a fight, anger, _thrill!_

What was wrong with me? Nothing.

Wait, did I just say 'nothing'! "Stop it!" I said loudly to myself, standing up. I walked over to the tiny dresser with a mirror perched on top. I stared at my reflection, my long black locks of hair hanging over my forehead, my stern green eyes, my thin mouth that never seemed to smile, the face that would follow me forever. My mother said I would grow up to be a fine-looking boy. Girls turn away and giggle when they see me. But I saw nothing special. What was it that others saw in me that I can't?

I realized that the thought caused the boy staring back at me to frown. My eyebrows stooped down and my eyes grew especially piercing. Eyes that belonged to an Omega boy. _The Omega boy._

"What's wrong with me!" I cried out in anger. Fury caused my hand to slap my bag, which had been resting on the dresser, to the ground. It landed with a dull thud, but as it hit the ground, something small and glittering flew out of the bag, landing a few feet away. I was slightly surprised, walked over to the small object, bent down and picked it up.

It was a small pendant. The gem was ovular shaped with pointed edges, like a narrowed eye. It was a deep, sincere shade of greenish blue. A light green vine made out of jade curled around the gem like a protective snake, shielding the beauty of the gem from the rest of the world. At the top it was connected to a small gold chain by a silver loop. It was my grandmother's pendant. My mother kept it for good luck, and she always held the thing as if it held great significance to her.

I ran my hand along the chain and held the jewel up to the light, watching it glow in the growing moonlight. I looked past the jewel and saw darkness beyond the window. The sun was setting quickly. Shouldn't Ciron be back by now? Maybe I should.. go out there... and look for him.. yeah.

Look for him... or look for trouble?

_I'm sick of all this waiting_

_And people telling me what I should be_

_What if I'm not so crazy?_

_Maybe you're the one who's wrong, not me._

_So whatcha gonna say, whatcha gonna do_

_When we're standing on top and do it our way?_

_You say we got no future, you're living in the past_

_So listen up, that's my generation!_

~ Generation by Simple Plan


	5. Chapter 5

_Chapter Five_

The hour was getting late. The air was growing dark. I was used to the darkness. It shrouded the halls and rooms of Omega, save the brightly lit public rooms. It shrouded you and deceived the eyes of the foe. Yet darkness itself was a foe.

Nightfall at Kani was nothing compared to the hostile activities that were found in Omega. But it wasn't completely safe, either. It was exactly what I wanted. People still populated the streets when I went outside. Kani was a busy place for its size. I evaded the crowds and headed for the alleyways of the small town. My grandmother's green pendant was resting in my pocket. I would need whatever luck it contained tonight.

Leaning against a building a couple of yards away, I spotted a couple of teenagers smoking and talking shit to each other. I barely slowed as I passed them. They weren't worth my time. But apparently, I was wrong.

"Hey!" one of them called to me. I half turned and glanced over my shoulder to look at them. He tossed his cigarette down and stepped away from the wall. The darkness made it too hard for me to notice any closer details than the fact that he was taller than me, and more well-built. But then he started walking over to me.

Did I call him a teenager before? Whoops.

"You want something?" I asked blankly, watching him advance towards me. Adrenaline began pumping. I could sense a fight before it even started. My hand twitched towards the knife on my belt.

"What's a little brat like you doin' here?" the man asked. "You ain't belong here."

My eyes narrowed and my icy words came out of my mouth before I had time to think about them. "No one tells me that. You, least of all," I replied. At this time, the man had reached me. "You better watch it, asshole. No one talks like that to my face," he growled, grabbing me by the shirt collar in a tight, white-knuckled fist.

If someone asked me what I would feel like if I were in that kind of situation, I'd reply that I would be terrified. Who wouldn't? But for some reason at the moment, I didn't act as I would've predicted. I did not feel the fear I thought I would've. I stared back at the man's face with a face of stone. "I can see why," I said in a dignified voice. "It's bad enough _looking_ at it." The man's face tightened up with rage and he brought his free fist up, preparing for a blow. "Maybe this will teach you to watch your mouth!" he hissed before launching his fist at my head. Time froze and the long-dormant battle horn in my head sounded off.

I seized the wrist of the hand that was grabbing me and twisted it while I ducked to avoid the blow. He released me, then aimed a punch at my stomach, hoping to cause me to submit then and there. But to his disappointment, I caught his fist in my hand before pulling his arm towards me and shoving my elbow into it, causing something in it to pop. We both stepped back for a second. Then, in one swift movement, I brought my hand down to grab my knife and pull it out of its sheath. Right as I whisked it up to his neck, he brought another fist up to tackle my face. But we both froze, his fist inches away from my head, and my knife just a hair's length away from his throat. My breathing was heavy and my heart pumped madly. But I had won.

"Look at the odds and think about what I can do. I trust you'll do the smart thing," I said darkly. The air hung thick for a few seconds, then the man lowered his arm and I drew away my knife. "I'll let you live today, kid," he said before turning away. I walked back towards the lighted, populated area of the town. That had been enough. I'd my fill of action. I looked down at my knife. _How did I do that?_ I put it away.

The city lights in my eyes caused my head to grow slightly dizzy. I looked around. People began to fade and double. I closed my eyes and shook my head, and when I opened them everyone went back to normal. Where was I? Oh right, Kani. I needed to get back to the motel.

"Hey, Jake!" a familiar voice called. Ciron hurried over to catch up with me. "Really, man?" he asked in a giddy voice. Why didn't anything make sense tonight? "Really what?" I asked, rubbing an eye. The crowd was beginning to loosen. More and more people were growing tired and began heading towards their homes.

"What do you mean 'really what'? Your first fight, and you won! How's it feel?" I perked up. "Wait, how do you know? Were you watching me or something?" I asked suspiciously. Ciron laughed. "Nooo, of course not! I had business to attend to! But I heard about it on the way back. Here in Kani, you keep no secrets. But man, could you imagine! I'm walking back from the hospital, idly listening to conversation, and then suddenly I hear about a little bastard who nearly fucked up a tough hoodlum somewhere in a dark alleyway! What was I to think?" Ciron lightly slapped my back. "Good job! We could certainly use that in the Sightless Moons!"

I shook my head, still confused. "I don't understand," I said. "The place was near empty when that happened. How could people be talking about it?" Ciron looked around. "There are eyes everywhere. You may not realize it, but they're there." I shivered. Upon habit, I shoved my hands deep into my pockets and I drew my eyes to the ground as we walked. The tip of my finger bumped into something. My eyes glanced up as I pulled out the greenish blue charm, the pendant. Hmm.. maybe the luck I had tonight came from this.

"What's that?" Ciron asked when he saw the necklace in my hands. My palm instinctively clenched into a fist to protect the pendant, but then it loosened again. Ciron was no threat, no, he was a friend. "A.. pendant. It was my grandmother's. My mother told me that it brought her luck."

"Really now? Seems like your mother was right," Ciron murmured. He crossed his arms thoughtfully, then abruptly uncrossed them. I realized we had reached the motel. Ciron reached forward to open the doors and we quietly slipped in. "Luck certainly shone on you tonight. But what happened back there?" the turian asked as he passed a security card through our room and pushed the door open with his shoulder. I rubbed the back of my neck as I entered the bright room. "Ciron, I... I don't really wanna talk about it," I said uncomfortably as I dimmed the lights. The brightness hurt my eyes. Ciron nodded. "Ah. My apologies."

I shook my head, "No need," I said. I put the pendant back into my pocket, grabbed my bag, and hopped onto my cot, sitting cross-legged on the sheets. I was fiddling with a strap on my pack, barely noticing as Ciron walked over to the window of the room, leaning against the window's frame. The moonlight casted its milky light onto his face, causing his facial scales to gleam.

With a sigh, I pushed my pack aside and plopped back onto the pillow, staring at the silent ceiling. It was then when Ciron began chanting a strange ballad, unlike any that I had ever heard before. It had a haunting tone to it, and it silenced even my thoughts.

_Thus the hero who saved the day_

_A tale too great for words to say_

_When the clouds parted to show the Moon_

_A silent Moon, a Sightless Moon._

_The tyrant's army, all but quelled_

_The smoke of evil at last repelled_

_Thus the hero who saved the day_

_A tale too great for words to say_

_Lay dying there that fateful night_

_With not a person nor soul in sight_

_Yet there was one who watched him pass_

_Stayed with him in his moments of last_

_When the clouds parted to show the Moon_

_A silent Moon, a Sightless Moon._

His words hung in the air like mysterious fog. The words echoed in my head. The resonated down my being, reverberated in my heart and my very essence. "What was that?" I asked quietly. "What were you saying?"

"It's the Ballad of the Lost Hero," Ciron answered, his voice soft, delicate. As if the very air between us was made of thin glass and he dared not break it. "The ballad that inspired the Ancient Leader of the Sightless Moons to create it." I blinked. "Ancient Leader?" I repeated. "Is that.. your boss, or something?" Ciron chuckled lightly.

"He would be, if he were still a live. Indeed, he was a very ancient man. He was here long ago, even before Shephard's time. Back then, the Sightless Moons was nothing but a gathering of chosen people. But after Commander John Shephard's finest moments, the Sightless Moons grew until it was something big. But silent. Did I tell you before that the Sightless Moons was a mercenary group? That was half-truth. It's but more than that. There are many components of our group. Each person in their component is an expert in that field. For example, I am part of the mercenaries that belong to the Sightless Moons. I can see you could be one too. There is a medical component that helps other parts of the organization when they are in need of medical help, especially the mercenaries. There is a politics group, with brilliant people who could even puzzle the most cunning of politicians."

"That's interesting," I said, sitting up. Ciron walked over to his cot and sat down on the edge, still staring at the window. "I said we kept silent. We work hard to keep the universe in check, but we don't announce ourselves out. It's better that way."

I tapped the right side of my face with a finger. "But isn't someone bound to notice? And... if you keep silent, didn't you just blow your cover to me? Aren't you afraid that I'll run off and blurt out everything you just told me?" The turian changed his gaze from the window to me, and for once his sharp eyes froze my soul. "I don't think you will," he said, something sincere in his voice. "Besides, every member of the Sightless Moons needs to know what they've joined into." I looked away. "What makes you so bent that I'm going to join?"

"I know," Ciron said. I looked down at my lap, trying to keep down the chills. Something about his words.. what they meant.. I don't know what... I didn't know why they sounded so... _true_.

_Warm yourself by the fire, son, and the morning will come soon_

_I'll tell you stories of a better time, in a place we once knew_

_Before we packed our bags_

_And left all this behind in the dust_

_We had a place we could call home_

_And a life no one could touch_

_Don't hold me up now, I can stand my own ground_

_I don't need your help now_

_You won't let me down, down, down._

~Prayer of the Refugee by Rise Against


	6. Chapter 6

_Chapter Six_

"Time is growing short," Ciron said to me one day, one of the final days that he would stay in Kani. "In a day or two I'll be off. What do you say? Are you coming with me?" He had asked me this quite a bit for the past few days, but I always answered with the same response.

"I don't think so," I replied, looking away. There was a silence. Thick, heavy, thoughtful. "Then I hope whatever life you lead benefits you well," he said quietly. I swallowed hard. Saying goodbye again. It was like falling asleep two nights in a row and dreaming the same nightmare. "Where will you go?" I asked.

Ciron looked up at the ceiling, resting his elbow on his knee. "I don't know. I'll cruise around for a couple of days. I was actually given two weeks off from my duties to handle my personal business. Those weeks haven't expired yet, so I guess I'll have a little recreational time before it's time to go back to work." He pulled the zipper shut on his giant pack. I stood up, and he did too.

"Well, Jake, it's been nice knowing you. Maybe we'll cross paths again in the future. Who knows?" He extended an hand out, and I reached forward to shake it. We left the motel together, and at the entrance we finally parted ways. Ciron, in his tall, proud posture walking towards the direction of the docking bay of the planet, and me, a lone figure with a limp pack dangling over my shoulder. Sharp Kani winds whipped my face and scattered hair all over my eyes.

I reached up to brush the hair from my face when suddenly something hard and small hit the tip of my shoe. I looked down. Resting a few inches away on the spot I had accidentally kicked it to was a small blue book. The cover was too tattered and worn to make out the title. I picked it up. Even though I had never really gone to a school before, I could still read and write like everyone else. However, give me an essay written by a scholar or professor and I would be lost. It would've been like trying to read another language.

Picking up the small book, I opened it up and glanced at the first page. It was a children's book, with big colorful pictures and a few sentences on each page. The story was a classic one, a knight in shining armor rescuing a princess from a dragon. I flipped through the pages, skimming over the story. As a reached the last page, I prepared to throw down the book, leaving it once more on the ground, and walk off. But on the final page, something caught my eye.

The first line on the page. The sentence that told out the beginning of the end of the story, the moment of victory.

_Thus the hero who saved the day._

The book slipped from my hands. It fell and cluttered onto the ground, letting its pages fly up for one last attempt to fly before it stilled on the dusty ground. The words repeated once more in my head. _Thus the hero who saved the day... the Moon calls. Will you answer?_ I turned around and ran. I headed for the one place I could go to, the one place that I was meant to go to; the docking bay.

I hope I wasn't too late.

The docking bay wasn't as crowded as it usually was. One could look and actually see the wall on the opposite side of the room. My footsteps were loud and heavy as I raced into the bay. "Ciron!" I called. "Ciron, wait!" Had he already left? The Moon had called, I had answered, but a cloud had passed over it. It was gone.

Or was it?

"Well, well. So you decided to change your mind, did you? Normally, I hate people who change their minds. It gives away their thoughtlessness, and they're lack of effort in their decisions. But your change of mind was probably the best thing you did, if I may say so myself," Ciron said as he appeared out of the blue like a guardian coming to my call. My shut my eyes for a brief moment as I sighed with relief. "I was worried you already left," I said. Ciron's eyes were filled with light laughter. "That would've been bad."

He nodded towards a large blue ship that was currently still boarding passengers. "Come onto the ship before it takes off without us," he said. With that, we both headed for the ship. "Where are we going?" I asked. "To Rashanthe in the Jaype Galaxy. I'm bringing you to meet the head of the Sightless Moons, and see what he thinks of you," Ciron answered. I suddenly felt nervous. Someone was going to look at me, judge me from what I could do. What if I didn't pull through? No, think happy thoughts. Maybe he'll like me. Maybe he'll make me a high-ranking officer. Yeah, that's it.

"What about your 'vacation days'? I asked as we boarded the ship after Ciron payed the small fee for me to ride. The turian shook his head. "Screw my vacation days. I had nothing in mind, anyway."

The ship that we came on was much larger than the one I first rode. Ciron and I took our seats near the back. The shuttle lifted off within a few minutes. Good thing I had arrived here in time. The announcements came on, thanking the passengers for riding and explaining the different stops they would take. The ship would take a trip between four different planets before looping back again to Kani and starting over. Rashanthe was the third planet that the ship would stop at.

"It's going to take a couple of hours before we reach there," Ciron muttered to me. "Rashanthe is located in a different solar system. And this transport ship isn't the fastest. It might take a couple of hours. I hope you can sit still that long."

I grimaced. Sitting still for a couple of hours, hours before I would be introduced to my life as a Sightless Moon recruit, sounded horrible. I hoped I wouldn't go crazy or make a scene or whatever. Suddenly, a panicked thought went into my head. What about my pendant? Now that the ship had taken off, did I leave it.. oh, no. It was in my pocket. That was a relief.

"So Ciron," I tried saying quietly. I was used to muttering to Ciron quietly, to make sure no one else was listening in. But unfortunately, a girl sitting in the seat in front of us was chatting loudly on her invisible mobile device with a friend or something. Her words were loud and full of attitude, and I was certain everyone on the transport ship could hear her. "So then I was like, 'Whoa, like, back off girl,' to her and, like, oh my god, you know what she, like, said to me..?"

I looked at my turian friend sitting next to me, and he only shook his head. "You were saying?" he said in a louder voice. The girl didn't take a hint, and continued yelling into her mobile device. Ciron didn't like being ignored. He glared at the back of the seat in which the girl sat, looking quite annoyed. I put a hand on his arm. "It's okay," I assured him. "Just drop it."

Suddenly a passenger near the far corner of the transport ship caught my eye. They wore a thick, heavy coat with a hood. The coat hid most of their body, except the legs which were positioned in a feminine fashion, so I guessed that they were female. She wore thigh-high black boots, and I could see a bit of dark purple where the boots ended and right before the coat rested and covered her lap. From the shape of her foot, she was either human or asari. Looking up at her head, which was shrouded in the hood. Her face was nothing but a great shadow, with wisps of brown hair escaping the darkness of the hood, a solid clue that led me to conclude that the woman was a human. The way she sat made it look like she was trying to hide or withdraw from attention.

I don't know what, but something about her made me stare. In the back of my head, something grew alert. I had no idea what made her so important to me. I would've probably stared the whole ride, something grabbed me in a trance-like state, until Ciron broke my hazy thinking.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked, looking over his shoulder as if trying to see what I was looking at. But his eyes carelessly swept over the girl like the chair was empty. She didn't matter to him. She was only another passenger. She held no significance to him. So why should I care? I shook my head and sat back into my seat. "Nothing," I said. "Nothing."

Ciron gave the ship another glance before relaxing too. "Before we get there, I need to ask you a couple of questions so I know where you stand right now. Think of it like a little pre-test. All right, so have you been involved in any physical activities, anything that could help improve muscle growth and raise cardiovascular strength and whatnot?"

Okay, questions like these were simple. "No, I've never really... had an opportunity available like that.. y'know.." I muttered. Ciron nodded understandingly. "Ah. Don't worry, with the Sightless Moons, you'll get your fill of... training," he grinned to himself, as if enjoying an inside joke. I didn't know whether to be excited or nervous. My gaze drifted back over to the girl. She hadn't changed her position at all. A few hours passed as Ciron continued to assess me.

"Have any health problems?"

"I don't think so."

"Ever used a gun?"

"Nope."

"Ever been near a gun?"

"Yeah."

"Did it scare you?"

"No, not really."

"What's the capitol of Gizir?"

"What?"

"Just kidding."

The questions kept coming in. Ciron stuck mainly to combat and military questions, to which I answered poorly too. I had never met or talked with any skilled officers, I had never had combat training, I had never really carried a weapon around, nor did I know how to use a lot of them. But it killed time rather efficiently. I hadn't noticed the first two stops of the transport ship when they came. Suddenly, I was reminded of the girl who sat alone by herself. But when I looked, she was no longer there. I blinked, then looked around. She was no where to be seen. Oh well, she probably got off at one of the first two stops.

I looked back at Ciron, expecting him to start throwing more questions at me, but instead he reached down to grab his bag. "That's all, Jake," he said. "We're here. Welcome to Rashanthe." His words were accompanied by the whistling of the transport ship as it slowed down, preparing to dock.

Here we go.

_Here you'll become what you're supposed to be_

_You think you can't but you can_

_Think of the guy you want most to be_

_Here's your chance to make it_

_So take it like a man._

~ Take It Like A Man from Legally Blonde the Musical.


	7. Chapter 7

_Chapter Seven_

One step onto Rashanthe and I could already see my life shifting into something... great. I planted both feet firmly onto the concrete ground of the sturdy planet, shielding my eyes from the glaring sun as my breath was taken away by the dazzling sight of one of the greatest cities in the galaxy- Mirohin. I gazed at the tall, proud buildings of the city. They were slightly curved and gleamed silver in the radiant sunlight, silver colossi stretching up to the deep blue sky.

I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Welcome to the headquarters of the Sightless Moon marines," Ciron said, looking upon the city with a gleam of pride in his eyes. I blinked in the sunlight. "Marines? You told me it was a mercenary group."

"Mercenary is a safe word to use out in public. But I can't say the same for marines. It gets people suspicious. We can't have that, now can we?" Ciron answered, driving me forward as he spoke. Time grew short and there was no time to stand around and chat.

But as we neared the headquarters, I still had many questions that needed answering.

Something didn't feel right. I could sense it. Ciron was growing less and less talkative, not like his usual self. He was worried about something. Could it have to do with me? "Ciron, what's up?" I asked quietly. I hoped it wasn't too bad.

The turian looked away. "To be honest, I'm not sure if the Director will see you worthy of joining. The Sightless Moon marines are not picked out of the blue. I believe I spotted real talent in combat when I found you, but I'm not sure the Director will think the same as I." There was silence, then Ciron looked back at me with a hopeful face. "Cheer up, maybe I'm wrong. It won't be the first time. Just do your best, Jake."

He still called me by that. The fake name. The shield I used when I didn't trust him. It pricked me with guilt. He had been open to be all this time, and I had been hiding behind a mask.

"Ciron, don't call me that," I said. "That's not my real name." An uncomfortable worm of unease wiggled inside of me as we weaved through the city, drawing closer to the SM marines headquarters, the place I would be reborn. How would Ciron react to my revealed lie?

His next words surprised me.

"I've been waiting for you to finally confess," the turian said, a hint of smug satisfaction in his voice. I swallowed. "You.. knew? All along?" Caught red-handed without even realizing. I could feel the same burning within. "Kind of," Ciron said. "I knew something wasn't right. The name just doesn't fit you... well, no offense. Plus, there was some sort of look that gets onto your face whenever I call you that."

I was about to say more but then Ciron held up a hand, silencing me immediately. His other hand was against a metallic door, next to a small panel. "You're about to enter the HQ of the Sightless Moon marines. From here on, you shall not speak nor commit an action without being told to. Do you understand?" I nodded silently, already beginning to feel a bit intimidated. Ciron's hand slid over to the panel which flipped over to become a keypad with foreign text.

His three-digit hand danced across the keypad at lightning speed. Soon he was finished typing, retracting his hand away. A wave of green light flashed across the keypad before a small mic rose out of the wall above the keypad. "Name?" a feminine voice inquired with boredom.

"It's Ciron. I've got a possible recruit with me, so hurry it up, will you?" Ciron answered into the mic, crossing his arms impatiently.

"Oh my. Welcome back, Ciron. You've returned earlier than expected. Come on in," the voice answered. The metallic doors slid open with a smooth _ssscchhh_ and revealed to me a long hallway with few doors on its side. At the end of the far hall was an elevator.

"Follow me."

Our footsteps echoed loudly in the hallway. The elevator doors at the distant end seemed frightening, yet beckoning as well. Like an stranger far away, extending an inviting hand towards you. Would you take it?

Come to me, come to your future.

Inside my mind, I could see myself reaching out, taking the hand. It could be a mistake. It could be the greatest decision of my life. Beyond was shrouded. It was up to me to step in and discover what was hidden

I'm coming.

Time ticked, and I could feel every second passed dropping acid onto my hope. I looked to the side and saw the floors flash quickly past. Yet the elevator ride seemed so long. Could it be any slower? It felt like minutes. Ciron looked sympathetically at me. He could see the agony of waiting in my eyes. He probably stood where I was once. "Yeah, sorry about the elevator. They always feel slow. Just hang in there."

I rocked back and forth only my feet. Then stopped myself. I shouldn't be impatient. A perfect marine had all the patience in the world. Was I going to be a perfect marine? "This is surely taking a while," I muttered.

Something flickered across Ciron's eyes, but he chose not to voice whatever he thought in his mind, only, "I did not tell you to speak."

Crap. Messed up again.

After an eternity, the elevator doors finally opened. There was a small room with nothing in it, only lights that lit up the silver, circular walls. There was only one door leading out, standing across from the elevator that we stepped away from. As we walked through the room, I looked to the side and saw my reflection again.

I saw him again. The boy that had looked back at me in the mirror on Kani. But he looked so different. His head was held high and his stride was filled with strength, not the wandering, pointless walk my feet used to carry themselves like.

"Wait here," Ciron said all of a sudden, halting near the lone door. "I'm going to speak to him first. You'll be notified when you can come in."

Oh great. More waiting.

After Ciron went in, I couldn't hear a thing from outside the door. It would be rotten to try and eavesdrop, anyway. I counted the seconds, but when the number grew too big, I stopped. I couldn't take how long this was taking. A raging fire of anxiety burned in my chest, searing my pounding heart and trailing thick smoke into my throat.

To pass the time, I closed my eyes and tried to imagine myself as a marine. Proudly dressed in elegant combat armor, a heavy gun in hand. A figure that demanded respect. A hero. Like John Shepard.

Could I be like him? Could I really?

The door suddenly opened, breaking me out of my daydreams. Ciron stepped out, no emotion visible in his dark eyes. And reading a turian face was near impossible with their alien facial features.

"Go in," he said quietly. "And good luck." It was time.

The door slid open for me and I stepped in. There was a large desk with a giant chair behind it. Plaques and medals decorated the wall, nearly ever inch was occupied with an award. But so far, there was no one in sight. I glanced cautiously around me, even at the ceiling, but there was no one in sight. So... who was Ciron talking to earlier? Taking a step forward, there was suddenly a voice.

"So you want to be one of my marines?" a deep male voice asked. I whipped my head around but no one was in sight. Was it a hidden speaker, or a recording?

"Calm yourself, boy. The first rule when facing against an unseen enemy is to stay calm, or at least not let your panic show. I see your skills in combat are not yet fully developed, but I will seek to change that," the voice continued. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, a man kind of.. melted into view. I looked at him with surprise, then remembered what the voice had said, and tried to keep my face emotionless.

The man was giant compared to myself. He stood at least two heads taller than me and looked as if he worked out every day and night. His hair was brown and shaved into the short, old-timey boot camp look. He was dressed in cracked brown leather with something technologically advanced-looking strapped to his belt. The giant, burly (and scary) man stepped towards me, and it was a miracle the ground didn't form a crater beneath his giant boot.

"Good to know that you're a fast learner!" he boomed at me, slapping my shoulder with his colossal hand. The blow caused me to stumble, but I quickly regained my footing before I looked like too much of a complete loser. Every bone in my body somehow managed not to shatter. That was good.

"Are you... are you the Director?" I asked timidly. Gosh, I probably sounded like a child right now.

"Sure am!" the Director replied, striding over to his desk and pushing a few papers out of his way before fishing out a digital clipboard. I stood rooted to the spot where I had been standing when the Director materialized out of no where. Since when could people do that? I glanced at him, pulling small little text boxes on the digital clipboard around with the tip of his finger. "Umm.. how did you do that.. that thing.." I said, pointing towards where I had saw him appear out of no where.

"Oh, that? Cloaking device. Rather proud of it, I guess I was just showing it off. A special device, this thing," he said, tapping the thing on his belt. "Most cloaking devices only last temporarily and need to recharge, but this one is special. It can last way longer, almost a whole day. You won't easily find any of these out there in the universe, I'm one of the very, very few who possess these." While he was talking, I suddenly caught sight of my picture on the digital clipboard's screen. It surprised me. Since when did I have a picture in one of those.. things?

"You would be surprised," the Director said, quickly reading my thoughts from one swift glance at my face. "Even the most hidden person has a file. You just gotta know where to look." He looked examined what evidently was my file. "Hmm, you're 17? Good age, good age." He clicked, or rather tapped, on something with his finger and zoomed into something. It looked like statistics. My statistics.

A small frown appeared on the Director's intimidating face.

Uh-oh. That wasn't good. Was he going to hulk smash something now?

Suddenly the look disappeared as his eyes continued to scan down the list. "That's odd," he said. "All your information is here except your name.. it's hidden by some sort of.. oh well. Ciron has a fancy of calling you 'Core' when he spoke to me. I suppose that name can stick," he said. The clipboard suddenly shut down as he placed it back down on his desk. "Enough of sit-down work. Now let's see what you can do."

What did he mean by that? Was he going to make me drop down and do as many push-ups as I could? Crap. Or was he going to make me face off against a bear? Or worse than a bear- him? My fingers twitched as I tried to keep my confused face from appearing onto my face. Would I be able to please him?

Or would I be turned away?

_My mind is racing but my heart_

_It beats faster_

_I'm in control- commander and master_

_Lady Fate created disaster_

_But she ain't the boss of me!_

_There's no way I'm gonna take another option_

_No way I'm gonna settle with a loss!_

_No way I'm gonna sit around and watch_

_There's no, no way..._

~No Way by Darren Criss


	8. Chapter 8

_Chapter Eight_

Now was my time. To show everyone, including myself, what I had inside of me. It was time to either rise up victorious, or be cast aside.

As the Director lead me out of his office into the large circular room where the elevator door was waiting. I began to inwardly panic. Was he showing me the way out? No, he said he was going to see what I could do.

Suddenly, he stopped in the center of the room. I waved my arms a little to keep from bonking into his gigantic backside. Taking a step back, movement suddenly surrounded me. Startled, I looked to the side. The silver metallic walls suddenly turned themselves inside out, revealing a wall made out of blue, foamy mats.

The Director suddenly turned around and crossed his arms, looking down at me. "So, Ciron's told me you had your first taste of a fight back in Kani. Impressive, he told me all about it. That's a good kick start. But you have to know, there's a difference between an inexperienced hoodlum and a specially trained marine. I guess you'll just have to learn that yourself." He cracked his knuckles and flexed his fingers. "All right, kid. Show me what you got. Hit me as hard as you can."

I blinked. Was he serious? I could break my hand on his brick abs. I flexed my right hand. Well, here goes nothing. I drew my fist back and stepped forward with my right foot as I thrusted my fist towards the Director's stomach. But before I knew it, he had caught my fist in one enormous cupped hand. "I asked you to try and hit me. What are you doing?" I swallowed. Might as well kiss my chances of becoming a marine goodbye. Who was a kidding? I wasn't made for this.

"Core, I'm waiting," the Director said. He snapped me out of my dejected thoughts. A sudden fire flared through my body. It burned both hot and cold and it charred new energy, new fierceness into me. My brain began pumping with new thoughts. 'He's using his hands as a shield! Get past that shield!'

For my second attempt, I tried the same thing with my first fist, but as the Director caught it, I swung my second fist around and tried to catch him by surprise. But in lightning speed, he dodged that one too.

"Very good," the Director praised. That made me feel a whole lot better. "The key is," he continued, "when fighting in close combat is to try and get into the offensive side and leave your opponent defending himself. The idea is to overburden your enemy until you can finally land a blow. If you're caught in defensive, try and find a crack in your foe's attack to strike back. Now I'll be on the offensive, and let's see how well you can defend yourself."

My heart turned to stone and dropped. Shit. It was time to let the bear loose after poking it with a stick from a safe distance. My palms grew damp but words flew out of my mouth before I could stop them. "Ready."

I braced myself for the worst. But before he did anything scary, the Director straightened up. "All right. Let's start out easy. First I'll show you how to deflect a simple blow. How painless your deflection is depends on how you catch the attack, the angle and your position. There are three ways you can block a simple punch- either cup your palm and catch it like a baseball, that's the easy but more painful way, or you can try and dodge the blow entirely, but that takes quick stepping and good timing. The last way is what I call the 'cool' way, because it makes you look cool," he said with a chuckle. "You try and catch the attacker by the wrist before they get you. But that takes perfect timing as well, also strength when trying to halt the punch. Now let's see what you make of what I just told you. Get ready." He stepped back with one foot, preparing an arm.

Well, he was letting me get ready. A monstrous bear with a sense of mercy. You don't stumble upon a lot of things like that in this universe.

"Ready? Go."

His fist flew towards me in what seemed like slow motion, and instead of a fist I saw a giant flying object of death. A fleeting feeling of panic rose in my throat as I raised both hands in a feeble attempt to defend myself. I felt something hard hit my hands, and despite both of my arms straining to keep it away, it pushed my hands back into my chest. I let out a strangled cough as the air was literally forced out of my lungs.

Mercy? Ouch.

"Not bad for a first try, but I still see major flaws in your movement," the Director said. "Let's try again." This time when he tried aiming for my stomach, I stepped back while trying to block that one hell of a killer baseball. What I didn't expect was when he swung a second fist while I was focused on the first, and it caught me square in the chest.

I grunted with shock as the blow knocked me onto the ground, my back hitting the floor with a painful slap before skidding across the smooth floor a couple of inches. I tried propping myself up with an elbow and gripped my chest with the other hand where it throbbed with an unbearable pain. My breathing came out uneven as I fought for breath. That was some punch all right.

A large, offering hand appeared in front of me. I looked up and took it, and the Director helped me up to my feet. With my hand still over my pained chest, I kept my eyes down. I hadn't seen that other blow coming... maybe I wasn't marine material.

Quiet. The the Director said, "so you've never really fought before. It's clear in your movement." I closed my eyes and lowered my head, a second pain joining in.

"But..." My eyes opened.

"Perhaps with a little training... Maybe they were right. Only time will tell. Go on, you are dismissed. Go meet up with Ciron on the third floor, Core," he said before turning away, back towards the door that led to his office. The room resumed its silver walls. That was it?

I sucked in some air, feeling a little better before turning back to the elevator. For some reason, I felt rejected. But the Director had told me to go to Ciron. Which meant I was entirely out... was I?

The third floor was a whole new maze for me. I looked around. There were walls and doors and hallways everywhere. I stepped into a bright room which was completely empty. But for some reason, I felt eyes everywhere on me.

Look, it's the new guy.

He put the Director to shame, didn't he?

I'm not surprised.

_Stop it,_ I thought to myself, _you're just being paranoid._ I looked down and saw a table with digital newspapers on it. I picked the top one up. The headlines flickered and glowed orange on the holographic page. They read: CARABELLE'S DAUGHTER MISSING. Below it was a wall of text accompanied with two pictures. The large one was a picture of a man who looked like the leader of something, smiling and raising his arm in a triumphant gesture. The second, smaller picture was of a young woman with light brown hair that swirled around her sleek shoulders. And even though her eyes were only that of a flat hologram, I could feel them staring into mine in a captivating hold. I reached up a hand to touch her face when suddenly a voice startled me.

"Heard about the famous assassination?" it asked. Startled, a dropped the hologram, feeling slightly guilty as well. When the holographic newspaper hit the ground, it suddenly switched into a different page, and that dazzling face disappeared. "What?" I asked, looking up at Ciron. "What assassination?"

Ciron walked over, taking up the holographic newspaper before placing it back on the paper. "The assassination of Josiah Carabelle, president of a giant AI programming company. The man had enough power and money to own several galaxies, but he was no tyrant. Only a month ago, he was assassinated. They haven't found out who did it yet. The assassin knew what he was doing. And recently his daughter, Celira Carabelle, went missing." He pushed the newspaper closer to the center of the table and looked up at me. "So how did it go?"

At first I was puzzled at his question. What did he mean? Oh right. "I don't really know. If I had to guess, I would say it went pretty bad," I answered shamefully. Ciron flashed me a sympathetic look. "Don't be too harsh on yourself," he said.

"What do you mean? I didn't make it, did I?" I looked at him. Ciron suddenly flashed a wide grin. "You're on the third floor. Welcome to the Sightless Moons."

It took me a while to realize what he meant.

"Are you serious? No, you can't be! I was terrible!" I stuttered. My chest still hurt.

"Core, we don't expect you to be perfect, not now anyways. Everyone gets hit every now and then, even the Director. He can spot hidden talent a mile away. Besides, there are more reasons he's recruiting you than you know."

I let out a cough, feeling my chest ache. "I was afraid he wasn't even going to let me live."

"Oh yeah, he's a hard hitter. Trust me, if he actually hit you with all he had, you'd be shattered into atoms," Ciron said.

"That is enough, Ciron. You don't want poor Core being frightened, do you?" a female voice said. A woman in a long white lab coat stepped in. From her appearance, she looked like she was in the mid-thirties. Her short dark brown hair curled over her shoulder and she seemed quite.. well.. tough.

"Ah.. Core, this is Dr. Rhenda," Ciron said, gesturing towards the woman. "Dr. Rhenda, this is-"

"I know very well who this is, Ciron. You are dismissed. Go shoot something or save a planet from total destruction," Dr. Rhenda said sarcastically. Ciron nodded. "Yes ma'am," he said solemnly, but I could hear a smile in his voice. When the turian had disappeared, Dr. Rhenda looked at me from behind her black-rimmed glasses and extended a hand towards me which I shook. "I'm Dr. Lilian Rhenda. And you must be Core, our newest recruit. All you need to know about me is that I am the lead medic for the marines. Yes, while you men tear each other apart on the battlefield, I stay behind to patch up your asses. I'm no sissy, though. I've had a good deal amount of front line action, so if you plan to speak to me, you better show some respect."

Surprising as it was, this woman scared me. Was it the fire in her eyes as she spoke her solid steel words, or was it the fact that this would be the lady who would poke me with needles and decide whether painkiller was necessary or not?

"Yes... ma'am..." I said nervously. Dr. Rhenda smiled. "I can see we're going to get along fine," she said in a frighteningly sweet voice. "Now I've been assigned to answer any questions you have, only up to a certain extend. How about we walk while we're conversing?" She led me down hallways and through door, all the while answering my foolish questions. The biggest question settled on my tongue and sprang up last for some reason.

"Why me?" I suddenly asked. Dr. Rhenda suddenly stopped walking and turned to look at me. "Excuse me?" she asked quietly.

"Why me?" I repeated. "There are billions of brave soldiers out there who would be chosen here in a blink. But me.. I'm nothing like those soldiers. How did everything shift in my favor, despite the odds?"

The doctor looked away and continued walking down the hall. I followed her, impatient for an answer.

"I personally recommended you to the Director along with Ciron."

"Why?"

"Because I've seen who you are."

_Holding onto things that vanished_

_Into the air, left me in pieces_

_But now I'm rising from the ashes, finding my wings_

_And all that I need_

_And I'll taste every moment, and live it out loud_

_I know this is the time, this is the time to be_

_More than a name or a face in the crowd_

_I know this is the time, this is the time of my life._

_Time of my life._

~Time Of My Life by David Cook


	9. Chapter 9

_Chapter Nineteen_

Training for the Sightless Moons was like gym class from hell. From dawn to dusk it was work, getting yourself into the 'fit shape' that the Director never quite explained. If I had to guess what 'fit shape' meant from the rate at which I had to train, I'd say it was a very muscular, overworked, _dead_ person. Sometimes the work was hard. Other times, it was just plain humiliating.

"What's this?" I asked one day when Ciron handed me a long tube made out of rubber with two handle-looking things at the end. "Is this some sort of... strangling device?" Ciron looked at me with the weirdest expression.

"I hope you're joking," the turian said. I frowned. "Do I look like I'm joking? I've been running for miles on end, doing push ups, getting shot at, doing enough work that would make a krogan cry! Do I look like I'm joking?" Ciron blinked. Though he struggled to keep it from his face, I could see in his eyes he was deeply amused. "All right, Core," he said, and a little laugh escaped into his voice. "It's just a jump rope. Have you never seen one before? It originated from Earth, the home planet of humans."

I looked up at Ciron (why were turians so tall?), "I'm from Omega," I said. "The place is full of rainbows and cotton candy and playgrounds- of COURSE I've never seen a jump rope before!" _Whap!_ Before I knew it one of the handles of the jump rope hit in on the side of my head. "Ow!" I raised my hand to the rippling pain. "Ciron! What was that for!"

"You were being an ass," Ciron replied calmly. "I'll kindly suggest you to stop. The Director doesn't like that kind of attitude, and neither do I. Now go ahead, jump. It's a good form of exercise... even if it does look a little silly." He handed me the jump rope and I looked at it dumbly. "Are you just supposed to... put it on the ground and jump over it?" I mumbled. I felt another invisible whack to the head as Ciron laughed. "No, you're supposed to use it like this. Hold the handles on either hand and swing them in a little circle. That forces the rope to swing around you. Then jump over it. Like this, see?" His wrists moved in a unison as the rope was suddenly brought over his head it in quick blurr. As it neared his feet he jumped and the rope passed swiftly, swinging beyond his head again. It swung so fast that it looked like one big continuous thing, like a force field around the turian. I snorted. "You do look silly."

Ciron let the rope stop as it tapped against his ankles, a slightly unamused look on his face. "Whatever. Just use it now." He tossed the rope over to me and watched with fascination as I attempted to use the jump rope, tripping whenever it caught my legs. "You're supposed to jump," Ciron mocked. I glared at him. "I AM jumping!" The turian chuckled and shook his grey, painted head. "Anyway, have fun with that. I have to go. Training you to use that jump rope took up a large, unexpected amount of time." He turned away and left me with that stupid jump rope.

Days progressed, then weeks, then months. Almost a year had passed when the Director came one day to watch me scale a large, artificial stone wall with a timer at the very top. As I pulled myself up the last few feet of rough stone, I reached up and smacked the red button at the very top that stopped the timer. The huge screen displayed the numbers: 5 minutes, 23 seconds. I looked down at the Director who stood on the ground and looked so small it was as if I was a mile away. He motioned a hand for me to come down. I pushed myself away from the wall and the harness that was strapped around me let me descend slowly but swiftly onto the ground.

"This year has been very successful," the Director said. I was utterly surprised to see that the Director didn't tower over me as much as he did before. He stood there, his thick arms crossed, examining me with a strange look of pride like a father. "Look at you. Ciron brought me a little scrap of a man, and you've certainly changed! You remind me of myself when I was eighteen, like you. Except..." He uncrossed his arms and swung his arm, flexing it. "Not quite." I swallowed.

He patted my shoulder with his giant hand and it didn't hurt so much anymore, another surprise to me. "Come on," he said, nodding towards the hallway. As our footsteps echoed through it, he began talking to me about my training. "You've mastered the bulk of bodybuilding. That's good. Now we'll start getting you into a full suit of armor and start teaching you some combat..."

The screaming of the buzzer and the sharp red light that invaded the room drilled disappointment into me as I lowered my heavy rifle. I looked down and saw my knees shaking. They must've been like that for a long time. Funny how I never noticed until now.

"If I didn't know better, Jake, I'd think you were doing this on purpose," said a razor-sharp voice. I looked up at Dr. Rhenda, glaring at me from a large, enclosed, balcony-like room protruding out of the side of the large room I was in. Apparently Ciron and the Director had bigger fish to fry, because they were usually the ones who supervised my combat training, not Dr. Rhenda.

She held her stern gaze for a couple more seconds before looking away. Once I was free from her disapproving eyes, I collapsed against a large crate and looked around. The room around me was the perfect replica of a bandit hideout. There were crates stacked everywhere (no doubt pretending to hold illegal wares), tricky lighting, and fake explosive crates.

"Your scores are as follows," Dr. Rhenda's voice said, emitting from hidden speakers. I lowered my head. The tone in her voice mimicked the look in her eyes. "Enemies successfully neutralized- 21. Rounds fired- 56. Explosive crates shot- 4. Percent accuracy- 86%. Received a fatal shot to the abdomen. You hear that, Jake? _Fatal_. Had that been a real situation, you would stone dead. What were you thinking?"

"I tried my best!" I suddenly snapped, looking up at Dr. Rhenda. "At least I did better than yesterday!"

"The number of enemies neutralized does not matter compared to _being killed_, Jake!" Dr. Rhenda replied hotly, her glasses flashing. "You don't think I was watching? You were under heavy fire, yet you jumped out from behind cover like a careless fool! Do you know how many credits fund your training? It does not pay to send expensive, talented soldiers to die because of carelessness!"

"What do you know? You're a doctor!" I roared, throwing down the rifle, which cluttered across the floor until it came to an abrupt halt against a crate. Luckily, it was not real; otherwise it would've most likely gone off. "It's nearly midnight. My training's over." I turned on my heel and stormed out of the room. Thankfully, Dr. Rhenda had kept it unlocked for me, or else I would've gone through hell to get her to open it.

When I stepped into the hall, I immediately felt better. Maybe it was the brilliant, soothing lights overhead, which were different from the compressing, dim lights in the training room. Maybe it was because I no longer had to listen to Dr. Rhenda's harsh criticisms. But suddenly, I felt better. Inside the training room, the sounds of gunfire and the simulated bullets leaping at you were stressful enough, even if they WERE fake. Add that with the fact that the rifle he used, fake as it was, was modeled to accurately have the correct weight and recoil as the real deal. Even though holding the rifle was nothing new to him, he still felt his arms ache, his muscles still tense from having to counter the gun's violent recoils.

"Stupid armor," I muttered angrily, ripping the accursed, heavy thing off of me. "Kills me more than it saves me." Placing the armor on a rack that held many duplicates of it, I suddenly felt light. Strapping on that armor had felt like strapping on cement bricks. I lifted up my hand, feeling my arm rejoice at the ease of moving.

_Shit,_ I thought, all happy thoughts vaporized from my mind. _I gotta do this again tomorrow._ With a great sigh, I left the locker rooms and headed towards my bunk. The thought of being able to lie down was the only thing giving me strength. Otherwise I might as well collapse in the middle of the hallway.

"Jake!" a voice called. I turned and my heart sank. The Director was walking towards me, and his face held no hint of wanting just a friendly chat. "Dr. Rhenda told me about your training today."

"She said I screwed up big time, didn't she?" I muttered.

"No, why would she say that?" the Director replied. I merely stared up at him. _You didn't see the look in her eyes back there_, I thought.

"Dr. Rhenda rarely gives negative criticisms on soldiers," the Director continued. "She says it's a waste of breathe, complaining. She told me you were having a hard time staying focused there." I tensed, but the Director remained perfectly calm. "Now if it were me, I would assume that you weren't putting up enough effort. But Rhenda says that it's because you're getting _bored_ of the simulated combat system." He peered at me as if waiting for a confirmation. I merely shrugged.

"I can't really tell why I acted the way I acted," I admitted. "To be honest, I think I agree with Dr. Rhenda." Suddenly, I realized how I was sounding. "B-but I'll try harder tomorrow," I stammered hastily.

I was too late. The Director frowned, as if disagreeing with what I said. "Tomorrow?" he repeated. "You won't be training tomorrow." I felt my stomach drop. Not training tomorrow? Did that mean he was kicking me out? I immediately thought of Ciron and wondered whether I would see him again. "E-excuse me, s-sir?" I said. Keeping the shock out of my voice was harder than running a mile in training armor.

"Of course you won't be training tomorrow!" the Director said, his face suddenly cheerful. "You don't need it anymore. All SM soldiers require only 18 months of training. Plus, you've mastered the assault rifle, which is the last branch of weaponry to be trained on. 86% accuracy? Ciron ended his training with 78%. Besides, tomorrow's your birthday! It would really suck if you spent your first day being 22 breaking your back in the training room again. Oh, and Jake," he called as I turned away. "Dr. Rhenda would like a word with you. She's down at the med bay right now."

Was everyone trying to prevent me from going to sleep? Despite my negative thoughts, I nodded. "Yes sir," I said as I turned away.

My footsteps echoed noisily through the empty hallway as I walked. Light after light passed over me as a made my way through the hall, down the stairs, around the corner, and into the medical bay. To my surprise, a turian was sitting on a bed near the other end of the room. "Ciron, what are you doing here?"

"Hey Jake. Little late to be having a stroll, isn't it?" the turian replied. I looked down at the bandages wrapped tightly around his left leg, stained with small blots of dark blue. "Friendly accident," Ciron replied, following my gaze down to his wound. "I was helping a worker unload a rack of guns. A loud bang caused the other guy to jump, which caused one of the guns on the rack to fall and discharge. Bullet went straight through my leg, as you can see," he said, lightly patting his bandaged injury. "Luckily it didn't hit bone. Just flesh. I'll be healed up in no time, though."

"You better hope so," another voice said. Dr. Rhenda came over with a scanner and passed it over Ciron's leg. "You've got a mission coming up. You too, Jake," she added casually, as though she were discussing tomorrow's breakfast. I looked at her, startled. "Me?"

"Yes, you," Dr. Rhenda said, sounding a little annoyed. "There doesn't seem to be anyone else here named Jake, is there?" She checked the scanner, then said, "lay down, Ciron. I don't want you hurting yourself again; the mission's in 5 days."

"5 days?" Ciron repeated. "But I was told tomorrow was-."

"The Director has changed it," Dr. Rhenda said, typing something into a handheld tablet. "That mission required a soldier with peak health. Seeing as your condition will leave you limping like a drunkard tomorrow, you have been replaced by Rowen. He-."

"Not _Rowen_!" Ciron whined. "That salarian can hardly get anything done with that big, fat ego in the way!"

"-is MORE than capable of getting the job done," Dr. Rhenda finished. In the silence that followed, I took the opportunity to speak up. "But this mission," I said. "What is it?"

"Well, the mayor of the small town of Tirsha recently received an ominous message from an unknown source. He has asked the Sightless Moons to add a bit more security to the town for a period of time. The Director has agreed to help. That's your mission. Nice and simple, just patrol the quiet little town until the threat passes. Don't give me that look, Jake. It's not like we haven't seen a situation like this before. Most of the time it's a false alarm. There's nothing to worry about, but better safe than sorry." Without another word, she left to check on another patient.

"Well," Ciron said, sitting back up to examine his bandages again. "I gotta say, this is gonna be such an _exciting_ first mission for you."

"Yeah," I said grimly.

I didn't know how true Ciron's words were going to be.

_You're looking for something you can't find_

_If you give it up, you'll lose your mind._

_But what can you say?_

_You're gonna have a good day._

_Just when I thought I couldn't lose_

_I realized that it's the only thing I knew_

~Good Day by The Click Five


End file.
